U.S. intermodal up, carloads even, in latest week

U.S. freight carload traffic during the week ending June 22, 2013 held its ground, "essentially flat" when measured against the comparable week in 2012, the Asssociation of American Railroads reported Thursday, June 27. U.S. intermodal volume, by contrast, kept on rolling, up 2.7% compared with the same week last year.

Total combined U.S. traffic for the week ending June 22 was up 1.2%, AAR said.

Four of the 10 carload commodity groups AAR measures on a weekly basis posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, led once more by petroleum and petroleum products, up 37.2%. Commodities showing a decrease compared with the same week last year included grain, down 23.3%.

Canadian freight carload volume for the week rose 1.5% above the levels in the comparable 2012 week, while Canadian intermodal also did well, up 2.1%. Mexican freight carload volume scored a gain of 6.8% for the week, though Mexican intermodal volume declined 2.8%.

Combined North American freight carload volume for the 25 weeks of 2013 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was down 0.4% measured against he comparable period in 2012. Combined North American intermodal volume, by contrast, rose 3.9%.